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Welcome HEA & webmistress/author – Joyce Lamb + Giveaway!
Hi, Romance at Random!
Thank you for having me today! It’s a good time to be a romance reader (and writer), in my humble opinion. That’s because there’s a new blog at USATODAY.com devoted to the love of all things romance novels, Happy Ever After. The woman in charge of HEA has some pretty decent street cred, because she’s a romance novelist herself. That woman is me. 
Maybe you’ve already checked out HEA (happyeverafter.usatoday.com). If so, thanks for the visit and I hope you’re coming back again and again and again … OK, I’ll stop now. If you haven’t, you can head over now to take a peek. We’ll wait …
Now that you’re back (though you didn’t really seem to be gone that long — just sayin’), here’s a taste of what’s going on at HEA:
• Book reviews in all genres. Suspense, paranormal, inspirational, African American, contemporary, historical and erotica.
• Author interviews. In November we’ll have interviews with several Loveswept authors, such as Jessica Scott, Debra Dixon, Karen Leabo and Fran Baker. HEA is also going to talk with my new BFF, Sue Grimshaw, to find out what we can expect from Loveswept.
• Other fun stuff. HEA wrote about how music and romance writing often go together like rama lama lama keding a dedinga a dong … sorry. I’m so easy to distract. (Squirrel!) Anyway, lots of authors use music when they write. HEA talked to some, and others posted their experiences in the comments. HEA plans to do more such posts to help readers connect with their favorite authors.
Happy Ever After in a nutshell: Romance novels rock. Romance readers rock. Romance writers rock.
Before I let you go, what kind of self-respecting author would I be if I didn’t tell you about my own books? True Vision, out now, is the first in a romantic suspense trilogy about sisters with intense psychic abilities (it won a Daphne du Maurier award this summer). And an earlier book, Caught in the Act, was a RITA finalist in 2004. True #3, True Shot, arrives in December. 
Back to HEA: One of the questions we’re going to pose to our favorite authors is:
What’s your all-time favorite romance novel?
I’d like to ask you that, too. Seeing as how I’m sure many of us can’t name only one, you have my permission to name three. I’ll start! Mine are:
• Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen Woodiwiss. My heart still aches for Alaina disguised as Al and how gentle Cole was, even when he thought Al was just a scruffy boy.
• Separate Beds by LaVyrle Spencer. The relationship between Catherine and Clay develops so sweetly.
• Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. The heroine’s sweating through a beaver costume in the opening scene and the hero still falls for her. I mean, come on, how can you not love that?!?
Your turn! Remember – 5 commenters win a free book every week — comment below to win – winners announced on Sunday — Good luck!
Shanna by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. I loved the exotic setting, pirates, and the finale in colonial America. Ruark is the basic blueprint for most of my heroes.
The Windflower by Tom and Sharon Curtis (Laura London) I still have my original dogeared copy I read when I was 17. The characters were so real, the secondary characters so strongly written, just a perfect book. Pirates again. Hmm…
Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Philips. A contemporary this time, set in my home state of North Carolina. The theme of redemption and second chances is wonderful, and I love the secondary love story with the hero’s brother, a minister.
Two fav romances ever: Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase and A Rose in Winter by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I must read them several times a year, usually when I’ve had a Very Bad Week (TM).
comfort books
It will be hard to choose only 3 but her goes:
1.Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
2.Dark Lover by JR Ward
3.Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Well I agree with your 1 & 2 . . . .not sure about 3, but definitely 1 & 2 –
Great post. I’m excited about the new HEA USA Today blog. Romance does indeed rock! My favorite romance novel, wow, there are so many…I guess I would have to say the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Some might argue that it isn’t a romance novel, but the romance between Jamie and Claire is just spectacular.
woot – agree
My three favorite romances:
Joe’s Wife by Cheryl St. John
Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
Three Wishes by Barbara Delinsky
Dream a Little Dreamy by SEP
Sarah’s Child by Linda Howard
I enjoyed you post.
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I have a hard time picking, but here is the top three:
1.All of Me by Lori Wilde-Attorney gets to find love in the mountains.
2.Susannah’s Garden by Debbie Macomber-A dog gets two people together.
3.(This is a new one to the list)Creed’s Honor by Linda Lael Miller- Hardworking rancher has love come back to his town in Colorado.
those are good ones
My favorites include:
White Lies by Linda Howard
- a diary format that I found quite unique. Very suspenseful! The hero is comatose in the beginning of the story.
Another thriller, Karen Robard’s Walking After Midnight-
An ex cop is on the run for his life and takes the owner of a cleaning service as his hostage as he escapes from a funeral home. Very exciting chase through the mountains of Tennessee. You are never completely sure who the good vs bad guys are.
Sandra Brown’s Tempest In Eden-
An unexpected romance develops between a nude artist’s model, Shay, and her new step-father’s son, a very conservative minister. She first encounters him when he steps out of the shower naked. There is just something about Sandra Brown’s earlier romances that touch my heart.
I love Karen Hawkin’s historicalromances too I cannot pick just one.
My favorites are: Paradise by Judith McNaught
and The Bride by Julie Garwood.
maybe WHITNEY MY LOVE is 3 . . .
i love all of your books
my favorite are :
morning glory – lavyrle spencer
comanche series – catherine anderson
seduce me at sunrise – lisa kleypas
tender rebel – johanna lindsey
ransom – julie garwood
good ones too
It is tough but I’m going by the books I enjoy rereading the most.
Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand by Carla Kelly
The Bride Fair by Cheryl Reavis
Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
Hi, everyone!
Such great books mentioned here! I’m embarrassed to admit that I have not read Outlander (yet!). I have the audio book — all 30something hours of it. So very daunting.
I’m thrilled to see many of my favorite authors mentioned, too. I can’t wait for all their new releases so HEA can drool … I mean, objectively review them.
Thanks for stopping by — and commenting! Good luck on the giveaway!
Joyce
for shame, I think I know of someone who could get you a copy *wink*
My all time favorite is Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught. It was the first romance novel I ever read, and Clayton Westmoreland remains the yardstick by which I measure all men. Well, the fictional ones anyway.
squee — WML was a good one!
Slightly Wicked and Slightly Dangerous, Mary Balogh. They are from the same series, so maybe they can count as only one?
Simply Irresistabe, Jill Shalvis. Newer book. But I fell so in love with it and Jill Shalvis.
Love According to Lily, Julianne Maclean. Part of a terrific series. But Lily is so incredible. A heart wrenching story, with a great ending.
Hey Joyce! Congrats again on the HEA blog. I’m loving the articles from some of my favorite romance writers. And the reviews are so well written. I’ve already purchased two books from reading about them on your blog!
Oh, I do so love to talk about my favorites and choosing three from the thousands I’ve loved is difficult but I’ll give it a try:
Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught
The Bride by Julie Garwood
Dream Man by Linda Howard
P.S. Don’t enter me in the drawing. I already have your fabulous books on my keeper shelf.
My favorite are:
Star series – Catherine Coulter
Dark Lover – JR Ward
Dance with the Devil – Sherrilyn Kenyon
good list
I have so many favorites!!
-Mackenzie’s Mountain by Linda Howard
-Words of Silk by Sandra Brown
-Daniel’s Bride by Linda Lael Miller
oldies but goodies
I defer to the first romance I read – Cathy Maxwell’s THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT.
wow that brings back memories
Gone With the Wind
Rebel Temptress by Constance O’Banyon
New books would be anything by Kaki Warner.
Kaki is a new fav – agreed
Some of my favorites are:
Morning Glory by Lavyrle Spencer
Already Home by Susan Mallery
Match me if you Can – by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
My favorites are Julie Garwood’s “Saving Grace,” Linda Howard’s “Dying to Please” and Jean Ross Ewing’s “Illusion.”
I have many favorites. Three of them are: Ain’t too proud to beg by Susan Donovan Match me if you can by SEP The first love cookie club by Lori Wilde
I have so many favorites but the latest is Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase.
Loretta has some good ones — Samantha James & Jane Feather were three authors I used to read a lot of.
Ashes in the Wind is my favorite historical romance so I will definitely be checking out the two on your list
Hmm, three still seems so limiting. Let me think. Okay, here goes:
Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens – helped me start reading books again after my dad passed away.
The Lion’s Lady by Julie Garwood – all of the related books in that series I still re-read whenever I need a pick me up. Such great humor.
Dreams Part One and Part Two by Jayne Anne Krentz – okay actually anything by Jayne in any of her incarnations. I have most of her original books in their original releases through Candlelight, et. al. She is my writing hero. I am waiting to reward myself with her latest Canyons of Night when I finish my own writing goal.
Now back to my day job and then writing tonight! Great post. Thank you Sue and Joyce.
excellent choices — loved those Cynsters!
Mackenzie’s Mountain – Linda Howard
Diamond Bay – Linda Howard
Robyn Carr – Summer in Sonoma
My 3 would have to be…
Shades of Twilight by Linda Howard
If You Deceive by Kresley Cole
Something Wonderful by Judith McNaught
I go back to these all the time.
Saving Grace by Julie Garwood. She has many historical and contemporary books and I love them all,but that is my favorite. Then any book by Linda Howard!
Any of Kathleen Woodiwisses older books, the same for Julie Garwood and for some reason I can’t come up with a third that I would put in the same category lol.
So many to choose from – it would be easier to list authors! As I’m reading the latest one, I’ll choose the Cynster series by Stephanie Laurens.
SO hard to do! The first 3 that came to mind:
IT HAD TO BE YOU by SEP
RANSOM by Julie Garwood
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE by Kristan Higgins
There are so many others I could list!
A summer to remember Mary Balogh the first romance book I ever read. It stayed on my mind. Tender is the storm Johanna Lindsey i love Johanna but this is her greatest. Every Storm Lori Wick i got chills when Lt. Donovan Riggs found Lorraine Archer on the island.
Great Post. No way I can pick just 3. Maybe fave 3 from each of my fave authors. Love all of yours – don’t make me pick just one.
Three favorites, I’m sorry, but no there is no such thing. I will give you my top three favorite authors: Kathleen Woodiwiss, Nora Roberts, and last ….can’t decide between Catherine Anderson or Mary Jo Putney.
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The Sherbrooke Bride by Catherine Coulter,
Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard, and
Guardian Angel by Julie Garwood.
VOWS by LaVyrle Spencer. This novel sold me on the romance genre — and started my romance writing career.
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